Love's Battle
by citigirl13
Summary: A Vampire Diaries fic about Elena and Damon, based on Romeo and Juliet. Enjoy!
1. Prologue

**Inspiration has struck! I borrowed the film **_**Romeo and Juliet **_**(the one with Leonardo in it) from a friend and have been watching it all morning. I love it, even though I don't understand half of what they're saying! **

**So, in short, I have decided to write a Damon/Elena fic based on Romeo and Juliet. The story just never grows old, does it? It's timeless, the way two people can love each other despite anything. Don't worry, it won't be a tragedy – at least, I'm not planning to be. **

**Sorry, I know I sound dead sappy! Like I said, I watched **_**Romeo and Juliet**_**, and it tends to make me write and speak weird. **

**One thing: I tried to upload something on my Document manager, but it said I had used up the fifteen spots and I needed to covert my stories in chapters/stories? How do I do this? Don't worry, for now I'll just delete some old stories/chapters. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or **_**Romeo and Juliet. **_

**Love's Battle **

**Prologue**

In the town of Mystic Falls is where we lay our scene. In this once-quaint town, two families rival one another. The quarrel is not remembered as the two families battle one another for power, their anger spilling among the rest of the townspeople. Many innocent die from this long lasting fight.

Though through this bitter tragedy, love emerges. This love, though reluctant, is pure and sweet, as innocent and naive as the blue sky. But can these two lovers end the quarrel between their two rivalling families? Or will they too become victims of a quarrel as old as time itself?


	2. Chapter One

**Hey everyone! **

**So, here is my new story. In a rush so can't really talk, basically it's just like a Romeo and Juliet version of Elena and Damon. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Some things that you should know:**

**Katherine and Elena aren't identical, though they do look very much alike. **

**Matt is going to be quite OOC, as I didn't think Jeremy would work as the villain of the piece. Besides, it worked with Matt and Elena.**

**Damon, Stefan and Katherine aren't vampires. I know, it kind of takes some of the excitement out of it, but I wasn't sure how to work it into this; besides, I think Damon and Elena have enough to battle throughout this fic. Plus Bonnie isn't a witch either.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries **

**XxX**

**Chapter One**

The eldest Salvatore pulled his eyes open from the deep slumber. For a second he couldn't remember what had happened the previous night. Had he been drunk? He didn't feel the beginnings of a hangover coming on. He turned his head, and felt a smile grace his face.

The most striking girl was sleeping beside him. He moved forward and kissed her lips. "Good morning beautiful," he whispered in her ear.

Katherine Pierce smiled, though her eyes were still closed. "Damon," she murmured. Opening her eyes, he saw the chocolate circles that he had come to yearn for, to adore. She ran her hand over his face, a cheeky smile creeping up on her face. "Did you sleep well?"

He grinned, kissing her again. "I didn't sleep at all," he murmured. "And I hope not to sleep in this bed again for a long time."

Katherine laughed. She positioned herself on top of him, smiling. "Good, because I don't think you will."

They started kissing, heating up the room. But then Damon's sharp hearing caught the sound of a car. Gently pushing Katherine off, he peered out the window. A police car was coming up the drive. Katherine sat up, both of them now staring out the window.

Damon swore. "Damn it, what did Stefan do now?" He stood up, scooping his clothes off the ground.

Katherine grinned, lying down on the sheets. "Please Damon, you do things that are three times worse than what Stefan does. He's only following in your footsteps."

Damon frowned. He didn't care what happened to him, but Stefan was an entirely different matter. Since their mother died, Giuseppe threw himself into the business, barely taking time to bail his sons out of jail. Damon had fallen into the role of caretaker for Stefan, and he was worried that his brother was getting too caught up in this war between the Gilberts and Salvatores.

"You need to go," he murmured. At her pout he continued. "I know, I don't want you to leave either, but I'll have to deal with my brother."

"Can't your father deal with him?"

Damon shook his head. If Giuseppe woke from his slumber, he would be in a foul mood, undoubtedly boxing Stefan's ears until they went black because of the bruises. Besides, it was Damon who looked after Stefan, not his father.

"I'll see you later," he murmured. "Tomorrow night we've having a masked ball – it's my Father's girlfriend birthday. Come."

Katherine smiled seductively, tilting her head. "How will I know it's worth my while?"

Damon kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth. When he pulled away, she smirked. "I guess I could make an appearance."

He smirked. "See you later," he whispered in her ear. He turned away and quietly closed the door, leaving her to get changed into – well, clothes. He himself pulled his black shirt on as he reached the door before the bell woke up their father.

The sheriff stood on the porch, a slightly sheepish Stefan standing beside him. "Mr. Salvatore."

"Sheriff. Always a pleasure. What can I do for you?"

"Is your father home?" The sheriff didn't want to talk to Damon; she knew as well as anyone that he was the ringleader in many of the bigger schemes.

"My father is currently out with his girlfriend." Damon had always been a good liar. "Now, if you're quite finished, can you please take my brother's handcuffs off?"

The sheriff stood tall. "Your brother was street racing against-"

"Matt Donavan," Damon finished. He hated that boy with vengeance. He and Damon often had fist fights, sometimes with guns in their hands. He was dating Elena Gilbert, which made him the leader against the Salvatores. Jeremy Gilbert was a little too young to begin leading the fight against them, and besides, Damon heard his sister was over-protective. "Who won?"

Sheriff glowered at him. "The police," she answered curtly. "I'm letting him off this time Damon," she said, unlocking the handcuffs. "Don't let me catch him doing it again."

As Stefan walked in, Damon patted him on the back, pushing him inside where the sheriff couldn't get him. "I won't let you catch him," Damon said, sending her a smirk before closing the door.

The sheriff sighed as she turned away. It was a shame about Stefan; he was kind hearted really, but family loyalty stood in the way. Damon, on the other hand... She shook her head as she climbed in the police car. He was a lost cause, and Katherine Pierce did nothing to stop him. No, the girl was bad news as well. There was no doubt that she wouldn't stop him from whatever he wanted... No, she would encourage him.

_This family war isn't going to end any time soon. _

**XxX**

"Hey." Damon stormed into the kitchen, finding Stefan by the counter. He was shoving cereal in his mouth, with a scowl on his face. He didn't turn to Damon, just continued eating. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Stefan glanced up, his eyes not understanding. "He challenged me and you weren't there. Would you back down?"

Damon whacked his brother on the back of the head. "No, but _you _should." He placed his elbows on the counter, staring right into his brother's eyes. "You're a good kid Stefan. You haven't got a record; with any luck you never will. You don't have to work in the family business; once you've graduated you can go anywhere you want." Placing two hands on his brother's shoulders, carefully enunciating his words, he said, "Don't screw it up."

Stefan stared at his brother for a long moment before nodding. "Fine," he muttered, returning to his cereal. "But I'm not making any promises."

Damon sighed. Noting the cereal Stefan was eating, he went to the grill and got some bacon out the fridge. "So, did you win?"

Stefan smirked. "I was ahead when the police stopped us, if that's what you mean."

"The car?"

"Not a scratch."

Damon glanced from the corner of his eye at his brother. "Well, I have to admit brother, I'm proud." He quickly replaced his smirk with a frown. "Just don't do it again."

Stefan was silent for a few minutes. Damon didn't push his brother; if he wanted to talk, he would let his brother know. No good pushing him.

It was only when he placed a bacon sandwich in front of him that Stefan spoke. "You're not going to tell Dad, are you?"

Damon rolled his cobalt eyes. "I'm not an idiot Stefan. What Dad doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Thanks," Stefan said quietly.

"Where were Tyler and Anna, anyway?" Tyler had been good friends with the Gilberts until Jeremy had fallen in love with his girlfriend, Vicki. There was a fight and, well, long story short, Vicki ended up dead. Tyler hadn't spoken a kind word to the Gilberts or their friends ever since. He could be counted on. Anna, on the other hand... There were rumours that she was seeing Jeremy Gilbert. Damon didn't know whether to trust her or not.

Stefan narrowed his eyes. "Matt challenged _me_."

Damon sighed, and glanced at the now empty plate. "Did they feed you in that cell?" At the shake of the head, Damon shoved his half eaten sandwich to his little brother. "Thanks," Stefan murmured quietly, beginning to eat.

Once finished, he leant back in the chair. "Damon?"

Damon had turned back, placing the items in the dishwasher. "Yeah?"

"What did you mean when you said that I could leave?"

He stared at his brother. "C'mon Stefan, you know why I have to stay here."

"You don't have to work with Dad."

He rolled his eyes. "Why do you think Dad even kept me around after all this time? He's not going to risk giving the family business to an outsider that might eventually sell to the Gilberts? No chance. I'm the oldest, therefore the business falls to me."

Stefan knew his brother well enough to hear the resentment in his voice. "We could always run away," he said.

Damon smirked, leaning against the side. Ever since they were little, they had played this game. "Road trip."

"Go down one highway, hit all the diners on it."

"Go to New York," commented Damon.

"Work on an orchard."

"See the Grand Canyon."

For a moment the two smiled at each other. Then Damon switched the dishwasher on and they both headed upstairs. "Do I have to go to school?" he asked timidly. At eighteen, Stefan still attended school, though he was in his final year.

"Nah. I'll tell Dad you're sick or something. Get some sleep. I'll have to get into work though, or he'll have my head."

Stefan smiled gratefully at his brother. "Thanks D."

Damon winked at his baby brother. "Don't mention it S." He began to walk into his bedroom when Stefan called him back. "What?" he called.

Stefan held a leopard print bra out to Damon. "Missing something?"

He scowled, snatching it away. "Go to sleep Stefan."

Stefan laughed. "Whatever you say, big brother. Whatever you say."

**XxX**

"Elena! Elena!"

Groaning, Elena sat up. She opened her eyes to see her favourite little maid, Rachel cleaning up her room. She smiled. "Hi Rachel."

Rachel smiled shyly back. She then winced once she heard Ms. Plumber burst through the door. Ms. Plumber had been Elena's nanny since she was little, and ever since her mom had died, was more like a mother to her than anyone.

The portly woman put her hands on her hips. "You're going to be late for school."

Elena sighed but got out to go to the bathroom. "Is Jeremy home?"

"Yes," Ms. Plumber nodded. "Though the police brought him back."

"Fuck it," Elena swore.

"Miss Elena-"

"I'm sorry Ms. Plumber." Elena returned to the room, throwing on her silk nightie. "I need to see him."

"Mr Donavan is here, and he was driving the car." Elena's eyes widened, not knowing the full story. "Would you prefer to see him?"

"Yes." Elena turned and started changing quickly. Ms. Plumber waited until Elena was in her uniform before showing Matt in; they had been going out for years now, and she didn't want to indirectly encourage them towards the next step.

Elena whirled round, the scent of her long hair lingering in the air. She waited until Ms. Plumber and Rachel had left before going to him. She slapped him across the face, his beautiful face snapping to the side. "Ouch," he hissed, touching his painful cheek.

"What the hell Matt!" she snarled. "What did you do? And why was Jeremy with you?"

"He's a Gilbert; he needed to be there. It shows a united front for our cause."

"Our cause? What exactly is our cause?"

Matt didn't have a particular answer for this, so he just narrowed his eyes at the girl. "What's your problem Elena? So Jeremy got caught by the police? It was his first time, and he's only fifteen."

"It'll be the last time too. He's _not _going out there again-"

"Elena, he wanted to!" Matt's light eyes were burning. "We needed to show those son of a bitches what the Gilberts can do."

"You're not a Gilbert, Matt, and you never will be!"

Matt glanced to the door. "Be quiet. Do you want Ms. Plumber to hear?"

Elena smiled, albeit reluctantly, at Matt. "Why not? Ms. Plumber wouldn't know anything."

"Get real Elena. Don't you think she would find it a little suspicious if we had been pretending to date for the past year?"

Elena went to her dressing table and began to put on her makeup. "How was it with Caroline last night anyway?"

The plan was genius. Matt and Elena had been dating for years, though nearly a year and three months ago they both agreed that their relationship had lost all excitement and had broken up. The way their parents reacted, you would have thought they announced they were going to hold a plane hostage.

Then Elena's cousin Caroline came to live with them, and Matt fell head over heels for her. But Caroline's mother, who worked in the next town over, thought Caroline was too young to date and forbad her. If Caroline's mother found out she was dating, she would whisk her away immediately.

So Elena and Matt come up with a plan. They announced to a stunned household that they were getting back together (Ms. Plumber burst into joyful tears and they all drank three bottles of champagne). But unbeknownst to them, Matt and Caroline were secretly seeing each other. They had now been going out for a year, and things were getting serious.

Matt was so cute when he was embarrassed. He ducked his head. "It was good. She's really great."

Elena smiled into the mirror. "I think you should take her out, like to a proper date. Somewhere fancy instead of battling with the Salvatores."

In the mirror she saw Matt's cheeky grin. "Now that you mention it..."

Sighing, Elena turned round. "What is it Matt?"

With a flourish he presented her with a handful of invitations. Elena scanned the top, two words in sight.

"A Salvatore masked ball?" she asked incredulously. She stared up at someone who she could call her best friend. "Matt, have you lost your mind?"

"Are you proposing I had a mind to begin with?"

"If you go-"

"If _we _go."

"Fine, if _we _go, then we'll get caught and be killed!" Matt rolled his eyes. "Okay, but the police will be called and Aunt Jenna and Uncle Alaric are already pissed about Jeremy; they'll skin me alive."

"C'mon Elena, where's your sense of adventure? You can bring Bonnie, I'll take Caroline; plus, if we piss off Tyler and the Salvatores it'll definitely be worthwhile."

"No." Yet it was working. Elena was already thinking about the stunning royal blue dress she hadn't had a chance to wear yet. She could drop in a pick up a mask to match at the dressmaker shop, she had plenty of time.

Seeing her weakening, Matt continued. "Let's go Elena. Let's have some fun. They won't know it's us, as long as we leave before midnight we'll be fine." He started to back away, winking at her as he went. "You never know, you loosen up a little and you might just have some fun."

She heard him close the door, going down the stairs in the great Gilbert house before peering out the window to see his car leave. She turned back to her reflection: the stunning Elena Gilbert looked sad, and a little anxious. Matt was right: she needed to loosen up a bit. Ever since her parents had died, she had turned into a wet blanket.

Maybe she could just enjoy herself. Just once wouldn't kill her.

Right?

**XxX **

"We should go!" Bonnie was grinning, her dark eyes filled with excitement. She glanced across the quad; we could see the Salvatore crew sitting on the benches, every now and then shooting them fugitive glances. Most were directed at Elena. She, after all, was the queen bee of the Gilbert clan.

"I'm with Bonnie." Caroline was gazing dreamily over the field, as if she wasn't seeing a disgusting child spitting at another one but Matt. "I could wear my dark green gown with the velvet mask. I would look stunning."

"Are you guys sure?" They had been Elena's hope in an attempt to get out of going. But Bonnie and Caroline seemed eager enough, and besides, Elena had already admitted that it would be good to go.

Both Bonnie and Caroline stared at her. "Of course!" they cried.

Elena glanced across again. "We shouldn't get them mad. This war's bad enough as it is."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "It's not going to end if we don't go. Besides, it's a masked ball; they won't even know it's us. I'll just wear my hair up, Bonnie can do hers straight, and you can wear yours curly. No one will ever know it's us."

Elena sighed. There was only one hope now.

**XxX**

_You're a terrible liar. They'll realise it and forbid you to go. _

Elena cleared her throat. Her aunt glanced towards her, her uncle gently running his hand through her hair. "Yes sweetie?"

She took a deep breath. "Matt, Bonnie, Caroline and I want to out tomorrow night. Just to a club or something. Can we?"

Too late she realised her mistake. Uncle Alaric was kissing her neck, and Elena soon understood that eventually they would go up to the bedroom. Aunt Jenna's breathing was becoming erratic, and eventually she murmured, "Of course you can Elena. Though don't even think about taking Jeremy, he's still grounded."

Just like that. Elena stared as the two stumbled up the stairs. That was it. She had absolutely no chance of getting out of it now. It was almost as if fate itself was trying to get her to go that party; how could she deny fate?

She went to her bedroom, trying to quell her disappointment. Instead she walked into her walk-in wardrobe and ran her fingers over the silk of the royal blue dress. This colour had been her mother's favourite, precisely the reason that she had chosen it.

Elena now went to the picture frame that she kept of her family – her real family. They were at the park, enjoying the glorious sunshine. They all looked so happy...

_Mom and Dad wouldn't want you to be sad. They would want you to be happy; to go out and have fun. _Even though there was a deep sadness in her eyes, the attempt at happy almost looked believable.

Almost.


	3. Chapter Two

**First I would like to apologise for the first chapter: as I said I was in a rush and forgot to read over it. It was full of mistakes! Anyway, I've reread it and updated it, so if you want to find that one first, it should be free of grammar errors.**

**Just to be clear: this is an Elena and Damon fic! I'm not sure if I'm going to have a love triangle with the brothers, though I'm definitely going to get Katherine involved. **

**I'm really pleased with this chapter. I spent all evening on it, and I think it's turned out well. Hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries... (Sobs into hands) **

**XxX**

**Chapter Two **

Damon stepped out of the shower, his hair soaking wet. He towel dried it quickly, not in the mood to put his usual styling into it. Katherine had just called – she said that she couldn't come to the masked ball that night. She hadn't even given a proper excuse, just that she was busy.

Which now meant Damon was going alone. Well, not alone exactly – Stefan would be there, and so would Tyler and Anna, and a bunch of their other friends. But Katherine was his love; it wasn't going to be nearly as much fun without her.

Stefan peeked inside. "Damon, c'mon. Dad's getting pissed that neither of us are down there."

"Well, why don't you go?" Damon was standing in his underwear, staring in the mirror.

Stefan slipped onto the bed, leaning against the head. "I'm not going down there without my wingman."

Damon smirked, but nonetheless continued admiring himself in the mirror. "Do you think I am the most gorgeous man in the country or the entire planet?"

"I don't know about that, but He definitely gave you some modesty."

"It's not my fault that I was given the beauty and you got the brains. Well." Damon tilted his head, considering.

Stefan laughed, getting up. "Put on your tux. I'm going to find Ty."

Damon pulled his trousers on, and as he buttoned up his shirt, he glanced out the window, watching people arrive.

If Damon had taken a minute longer in the shower, or if he had styled his hair the usual way, or if Stefan had left a minute later, he would never have seen her. And if he had never laid eyes on her, the course of history would have completely changed.

He saw a girl, with dark coffee hair curling down her back, step out the car. She walked elegantly, the wiggle in her step reminding him just how flexible and talented she was.

Damon felt a grin covering his face. _Guess Katherine decided to come after all. _With new found enthusiasm, he pulled on his jacket and rushed out the room, not forgetting his mask.

How did Katherine know royal blue was his favourite colour?

**XxX **

Elena glanced round. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, one that was telling her to get back in the car and drive away as fast as she could. She grabbed Bonnie's arm before they went inside. "We shouldn't be doing this," she hissed.

Bonnie rolled her dark eyes, though it was hard to see behind the mask. "For God's sake, Elena! Look, we're almost in. Don't worry about it. We'll leave before we're meant to damask." Without a backward glance at her friend, Bonnie handed her invitation to the bouncer and walked inside, following Matt and Caroline.

Elena ignored the uneasy feeling in her stomach. She was disgusted with herself. Why the hell was she so nervous? Before her parents' death, she would have gone to this party without a second thought.

She gave her own invitation to the bouncer and, after a nod from him, stepped inside the Salvatore mansion.

Naturally Elena had never seen the glamorous house before. Though she would never admit it, it did resemble her own: there was the foyer, but through the archway to the left was a grand hall. The floor was marble, an amber colour. A large crystal chandelier lit the room, as well as lights on the wall. At the end of the room (the same end that Elena was at) was a staircase, this time appearing to look like gold (though Elena guessed it wasn't real gold). It led to a landing which went all round the large room, and at the other end of the grand hall was an elevator. Elena briefly wondered where it led before her eyes landed on the dancers.

Everyone was following some dance moves, an old fashioned dance that went down in Mystic Falls history. Anyone who lived in Mystic Falls knew about them, and the old founding families such as the Salvatores and the Gilberts would certainly make a big deal about them.

She wondered through the hall, among the watches as couples danced. She was not aware of the oldest Salvatore as he entered from the elevator. Immediately his eyes found his brother, who was leaning on the railing, his eyes on the people below him. "Stefan," said Damon, slapping him on the back. "Have you seen Katherine?"

Stefan shot his brother a confused look. "I thought Katherine wasn't coming?"

Damon grinned. "So did I, though it's probably just one of her games. Seeing if I can recognise her."

He rolled his eyes. "You two put me off having a relationship."

"Because you believe you can never have one as great as ours?"

"Because I don't want to understand how people can tease each other with mind games."

Damon frowned, though only half his mind was on the words Stefan had said. His blue eyes were roaming the dance floor, yearning to see her. They finally landed on beautiful girl in a royal blue gown. "See you later little brother," Damon called has he hurried down the stairs. Stefan grinned at his brother's eagerness, but it didn't light up his eyes. Yes, Damon was happy, but Stefan couldn't help but feel the poison lingering round her. He had an awful feeling that if Damon continued with her, he would soon get hurt.

Elena gazed round the hall, looking for her companions. She was not surprised that she could not find Matt or Caroline, for they were probably taking advantage of the time they had with masks. But where was Bonnie? Shouldn't she be around somewhere? Maybe she had gone right, into the spacious living room?

The danced ended, and Elena heard clapping as she crossed the large room and headed to the door. But she was stopped by a hand, which grabbed her own. She felt relief, thinking it was Bonnie, Caroline, or by the size of it, probably Matt's.

Therefore she was stunned when she saw a man, both unlike Matt in age and size. He was taller, and though he wasn't big he certainly was muscular. He was not a golden boy like Matt, but dark – she had never seen hair so black, like a raven's. And though his mask prevented her from seeing his face, she couldn't help but notice those blue eyes.

As for Damon, he noted the difference in Katherine's behaviour. She didn't smile cunningly, but stared at him, bemused. "Dance with me," he commanded.

His voice was deep and demanding, yet behind that she heard some quiet plea – as if his heart would stop beating if she didn't do as he asked. Minutely she nodded and, he smiled, guiding her to the floor.

Thankfully the dance was one she knew. The two bowed to one another, eyes meeting. As the music began to play, they raised their hands. Elena glanced down at it for a moment, for no other reason than to escape the burning gaze of this boy – no, man; boy-man. But she found that she now felt cold without his gaze, as if she was only alive because of his heat.

Damon was confused. Katherine seemed almost shy of him, confused. And yet he found this oddly arousing, though he couldn't explain why. He couldn't hide a small smile from his face, and soon he saw Katherine offer him a small smile back. This timid smile made his heart beat, and when they enveloped in each other's arms, he felt her heart beating fast too.

Time seemed to stop as they held each other, their eyes never leaving one another's.

A memory suddenly came back to Elena, one that had been hidden away like a dusty book on a high shelf. She remembered, when she was six years old, watching her parents do this very same dance. She had seen the look in her mother's eyes, the smile on her father's face... Whoever had seen that could not deny that they were in love.

Bonnie watched her best friend dancing with the hot stranger. Who was he? She hadn't ever seen him before, and she doubted Elena had either. Yet they were holding each other as if they had known each other for years.

She turned round to find Caroline and Matt to ask them if they knew him, and when she did, the music ended. The two bowed as ending, and people clapped as the couples left the dance floor.

Elena and Damon stood still, as if statues. Damon snapped out of it first, finally grabbing her hand. "C'mon," he hissed. He felt hot; the dance had left him breathless for some reason. All he wanted to do was be with her.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Damon didn't notice how her voice differed slightly from Katherine's.

"I'll show you." He led her up the stairs and into the elevator. Elena was flustered. She lifted her leg, adjusting her shoe that had slipped off. Before the elevator doors closed, Damon lifted her chin and kissed her on the lips.

The kissed disorientated her. She felt his tongue slide into her mouth, exploring it; found her own entering his. This kiss was full of heat and passion, just like the dance had been. She didn't understand, but that was okay; the kiss made it all worthwhile.

He felt her hand grip the back of his hair eagerly, and he grinned, deepening the kiss. This kiss was something else. Yes, it was passionate and moving, but... It was as if both their hearts were in it, if that made any sense.

The elevator opened, and so did Elena's eyes. She hadn't even realised that it had moved. Damon smirked down at the dazed girl, and pulled her out of the elevator and down another flight of stairs. This area was deserted, in contrast with the higher level.

"Where are we going?" she repeated, but her words fell short as he led her through the doors. She gasped: he had taken her to a garden. She let him lead her down the path and to an area that was surrounded by a thick green hedge. It hid a fountain. It was a dark grey colour, with cherubs in the middle.

"It's beautiful," she laughed, delighted. Again Damon stared at her strangely; it was so unlike Katherine to say something like that.

"So," she began, turning to him. "Are you going to tell me your name?"

He stilled. "What do you mean?"

She smiled, once again confused. "I've never met you."

It was his worst nightmare. "Katherine?" he whispered, almost trembling.

Elena was not stupid; she realised quickly that he thought she was someone else entirely. She gaped at him for a moment, before feeling her cheeks flush and step back. "I should go," she murmured. _This is the worst night _ever.

She began walk away, leaving the beautiful garden. Damon knew that he had to make a decision: Katherine was amazing, but this girl... He had felt something with her. He couldn't describe it, yet he sensed that if he let her go, he would regret it.

"Wait!" he called, running to her. She turned, her curly hair falling further down her back as she tilted her head to look at him. "Don't go."

She furrowed her brow. "You don't know who I am..."

"You don't know who I am," he shot back like a rattlesnake.

"But you initiated this," she replied.

He shrugged his shoulders, giving her his so-who-cares grin. "Let's get to know each other now. Tell me your name."

She froze at the prospect. She couldn't tell him she was Elena Gilbert! She was at the Salvatore mansion – what if he was a friend of theirs? "I can't," she admitted.

He glanced sideways at her, smirking. "What, did your parents name you Griselda?"

She smirked playfully. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours?"

He laughed. "How about ten questions?"

"What, we're going to ask each other ten names?"

Damon shook his head. "What about ten questions on us, ourselves? And then if we like the answers, we can give our names."

She thought for a moment. It would be fun, she admitted to herself. She had felt exhilarated for the first time in ages. She was – dare she say it – having _fun. _It was only eleven now; she had forty minutes before she had to leave. "Okay, as long as I get to ask the first question."

He smiled, his blue eyes lighting up behind his mask. He bowed, just like he had in the dance. In the back of his mind, Damon was reminded of Katherine. How could he truly forget her? He knew that people would talk; but he _had _to know her. Taking her hand, he planted a small kiss on the soft skin. Laughing like a fool, she took it in her hands and allowed herself to be led with back with the boy-man.

"I'm waiting," he informed her. He gestured her to sit down on the fountain.

She tossed her hair, allowing her eyes to linger on him. "Okay...favourite sport?"

"Fighting," he shot back, grinning.

The answer disconcerted for, but she didn't allow it to take over. "Your turn."

"Are you actually a girl?"

She gaped at him, half indignant and half giggling. "Of course I am!"

He shrugged innocently. "I just had to check; you never know these days." He sat opposite her, and they were now on the same level. Their eyes met again, coffee brown with cobalt blue, and sweat began to rise on their bodies.

She gulped, her throat feeling dry. "Favourite food?"

He was about to answer something generic, when he remembered one hot summer's day, sitting with his mother, eating strawberries. "Strawberries and cream," was his answer.

Elena smiled approving. "Very nice; very healthy."

"Now..." He stretched his arms, bringing them back to his head. "Would you rather eat a burger, or a salad?"

"A burger," she replied, laughing. She shot him a curious glance.

"Just curious. Besides, all the girls that I know just look at food and jump on the treadmill."

She smiled, putting her head down and raised her eyes, knowing that it made her look adorable. "Well, that's not me. I couldn't ever give up my food."

"Ah," he said, raising his eyebrow. "Free information."

"Okay, okay!" She held up her hands, thinking about her third question. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

She saw his face darken. "Doesn't matter," he muttered bitterly. "I don't get a choice."

She felt her stomach tighten. Though she was a Gilbert, she didn't have any rights to the family business; her father had left it to Jeremy, while Uncle Alaric ran it. He would probably continue working there even when Jeremy took over. She reached forward and gripped his hand.

He came out his thoughts, and smiled, though it was a little empty. "Et tu?"

"A writer," she said, feeling exhilarated. She rarely told anyone that; it had always been a secret dream of hers.

"A fiction writer?"

"Yeah, I'd love it. I love reading; I love making up characters and plots. It's not even work for me."

He smiled cheekily. "Will you make up a character like me?"

She glanced away, trying to hide the blush. "We'll see." If anything, he would be starring in her journal tonight. "Now for my next question-"

"Hey!" Damon argued. "I didn't get to ask my question."

"I believe you asked me if I was going to write you in a novel," Elena said. She couldn't help smiling; she was almost laughing.

He scowled, though his eyes were filled with humour. "I don't need to ask if you're smart."

"Favourite book?"

"_Atonement_," he said without hesitating, and then seemed to wince after he thought of it.

She stared at him. "Really?" she asked him. "I never expected a boy to like that book."

"For one thing, I'm not a boy; I'm also not ordinary. Besides, it's interesting. The war bit is a little dull, but the first part and the nurse part are good."

Elena arched a delicate eyebrow. "I never thought I would hear _that_."

He desperately wanted to put his hand on her knee right now. "Like I said, I'm no ordinary man. Now," he said, leaning back. He thought for a few minutes, thinking of a good question. "Do you have any siblings?"

"One," she said, a frown featuring her face. "A brother."

He smiled. "Snap. Younger or older?"

"Two years younger; et tu?"

"Eight years younger."

"That's quite an age gap," she commented. She paused. "Do you feel as if you're always taking care of them, y'know, being the oldest?"

He rolled his eyes. "All the time."

"It's so annoying; it's like being a parent."

Damon shrugged. He didn't mind talking about siblings, but he _wasn't _going to talk about his parents. "My turn-"

"Hold on," Damon interrupted. "You asked how much younger or older my brother was a_nd _if I was always taking care of him. So you're on question seven."

"Yeah, but you're also on question seven because you asked if I had any siblings, plus if they were younger or older."

He shook his head, the corners of his mouth tilted upwards slightly. "This is getting confusing."

"Never mind," Elena said lightly. "It's my turn. Now, favourite band?"

"Too many just to name one," he answered.

"Give me some examples."

"Nickelback, All Time Low, Boys Like Girls..." He shrugged. "Anything with a beat, basically."

Elena nodded, liking his taste. Now Damon asked, "What's _your_ favourite book?"

"Just one?" Elena pouted.

Damon considered. "Alright, but no more than five."

She pulled her knees up to her chest. "First, _My Sister's Keeper_, because it's so emotional; it's about things that no one likes to talk about, which is precisely why I like it; _The Other Boleyn Girl_, because of the historical content; and the _Time Traveller's Wife, _because it's a timeless love story."

"Never read any of them."

"You should try them," Elena replied honestly. "They're amazing, and I've read enough books to know it. Now, for my next question-"

"No way, it's my turn again. You asked if you could have more than one favourite book. That makes it my question again. Can you drive?"

Elena glanced up at him under her lashes. "Of course. Why do you ask that?"

Boldly, Damon reached out and brushed her hair away from her face. It tingled, as if she had been stung by nettles, yet it wasn't at all painful. "So that if we want to, we can easily see each other again," he whispered. The moment over, he removed his hand, saying cheekily, "And since you asked that question, it makes it my turn again. What are your favourite flowers?"

She was determined not to blush, or at least not to acknowledge it. "Sunflowers," she said with a shy grin. "They make me happy." Sitting up straighter, Elena said, "Now, _finally_, it's my question." It was a brave question, something that she wouldn't generally ask, but she found that she couldn't stop from flirting. "Do I look pretty to you?"

"No," Damon answered. Her face fell for a moment, and he said slowly, lowly, "You would have to blind not to see that you're not stunning beautiful."

Elena couldn't look at him now. She looked at the dark water for a moment, getting over her embarrassment, before turning back.

He stood, pulling the girl to her feet. He stared down at her, and she gazed commandingly back at him. "Final question," she whispered.

"Do you want to see me again?" he whispered. The garden was amazingly silent. Inwardly he was holding his breath, waiting for her answer.

"Definitely," she replied honestly.

His heart soared. He grinned, not a sarcastic one or a cheeky one but a real grin, one that reached those perfect eyes of his. "Et tu?"

"I have to see you again; this night has changed my life." He was never this deep, but something inside of him was forcing it out of him. All of a sudden he was revealing his own thoughts to her, like he had known her for years.

The two moved together, about to kiss again. Elena could feel his heartbeat against her chest. But then her eyes glanced behind him, seeing the large clock on the wall. She gasped. "Is that the right time?" she interrogated. It was two minutes to twelve – nearly the time when the masks came off!

Damon turned his head, though reluctantly. "Yes – why?"

"I have to go," she said, looking at him regretfully. Quickly she kissed him on the lips. It was brief, and left Damon wanting more. He stood there for a moment before chasing after her as she ran back to the elevator.

The doors nearly closed on Damon as he slipped inside. "Tell me your name," he begged.

Oh, how Elena wished she could! But if she did, it would probably ruin the memory of this night. "I can't."

"You want to see me again. How can we do that if we don't know each other's names?"

The elevator doors opened. "I'm sorry," she said. "I promise, we'll see each other again – but I really need to go."

She began running. Damon gave chase, but the huge crowds of people made it difficult. His mask was slipping down, blocking his view. Fuming, he threw it off. He was on the dance floor, searching. His eyes found the girl climbing the stair case.

"Three, two, one!" Everyone flung their masks off; some people tossed theirs in the air. Damon kept his eyes on the girl as she was talking to a girl in white.

Elena did not intend to take her mask off; but some idiots came running round, pulling masks off people's faces. Before she could stop them, one of the boys yanked it off her face, tearing it in two.

She turned, caught off guard, and almost immediately her eyes met Damon's.

They stared at each other, but this time it was not filled with lust; it was filled with shock. "Elena Gilbert," he whispered, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

Elena felt Matt's arm on hers, pulling her away. Yet she still managed to keep eye contact with him. "Damon Salvatore."

How cruel fate was.


	4. Chapter Three

**Truth? I feel a little guilty for working on this and not **_**Dark Angel**_**; I'm also planning on working on **_**Blood's Thicker Than Water **_**next, so don't expect another chapter soon. But I'm swamped with exams (I should be revising now, but I have a tutor coming in an hour and ten minutes, so I'm taking a break...) and besides, wouldn't you rather wait to get a good chapter than have a chapter now but for it to be shit? **

**Anyway, I like this chapter; it just seemed easy to write really. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters **

**XxX**

**Chapter Three **

Her alarm clock when off, but it didn't wake Elena. She stepped out of the steaming shower and switched it off. She started drying her hair, her head aching from how hard she was pulling. She was s_o _not in the mood for school today. The girl was knackered; she hadn't slept at all the previous night.

Her mind kept going back to _him _– Damon Salvatore. Her mortal enemy, and yet she felt a tremor in her stomach for thinking that. Damon Salvatore, Giuseppe Salvatore's eldest son and next in line for owning the business was her mortal enemy; the boy who danced so beautifully and wanted to be in charge of his own life, on the other hand...

Elena dressed in her school uniform and tied her hair back before Rachel even entered the room. Her brown eyes widened at the girl – the one that sometimes slept till noon on weekends. "Good morning Rachel," Elena greeted her, ignoring her shocked stare.

"Miss Elena," the young girl stumbled. Elena gave her a quick smile before walking downstairs to dinner.

Ms. Plumber raised her eyebrows but said nothing; she simply passed Elena as the girl sat down for breakfast, Alaric on one side and Jenna on the other.

Aunt Jenna smiled at her after pouring herself some coffee. "Morning honey. You're up early."

"Did you have a good night?" asked Alaric, his eyes never leaving the newspaper.

"Yes," Elena said, ducking her head. Thankfully Jeremy entered, distracting her.

She glowered at her brother over the table. Jeremy ignored her, drinking his juice and spreading butter on his toast. He could also feel Alaric's eyes on him, but ignored that too. Jenna was also trying not to notice, intent on keeping the peace in the family. "What time are you kids going to be back this evening?"

"Should be around four," answered Elena, keeping her eyes down.

"Five," answered Jeremy quietly, keeping his eyes on the table.

"You're grounded," Alaric snapped.

"Four then," answered Jeremy.

A hush fell round the table. When the time came, both Elena and Jeremy stood up to be driven in the car. Alaric and Jenna insisted that the Elena didn't drive her own car when going to school; if they had their own way she wouldn't be driving at all.

The two Gilberts sat at opposite ends of the car, not talking. Jeremy could feel Elena's irritation; Elena could tell her brother was sulking. "I hate not talking," she muttered quietly.

Jeremy shrugged. "You didn't have to yell at me."

"_You _didn't have to get yourself arrested."

Jeremy held his hands in the air. "I give up!" he yelled. Their driving gazed at the in the rear view mirror. "You obviously don't care about our rivalry between the Salvatores."

Elena's mind went to Damon. "Perhaps it's gone on for too long," she suggested.

Jeremy stared at her, his expression shocked – no, it was too far gone for shock. "Who are you?" he asked finally. Before she could talk to him, he jumped out the limo and headed for the main building.

**XxX **

Through blurry vision Damon stared at his reflection. He, like a certain Gilbert, hadn't gotten much sleep last night. When he had, he'd had a nightmare of running through a maze. Katherine was chasing him, but all he could do was head straight for Elena.

Why couldn't he get that girl out of his head? He had tried to convince himself that it was nothing; that Katherine would never find out before neither he nor Elena would be brave enough to admit what happened. So why was it so hard to forget about her?

"Hey Damon." Stefan entered the room, adjusting his tie. "No chance of being allowed to skip another day of school, right?"

Damon snorted. "Yeah right little brother." He pulled a shirt over his head.

"C'mon D, you've got a day off from work! We could go wherever we want..." Stefan grinned. "Within reason."

Damon laughed. "No chance. You already missed on day; you can't miss another one."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "I'm in the top five of all my classes Damon."

He raised his eyebrow. "Not top yet?" He pretended to tut at his brother.

The youngest Salvatore rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine," he muttered, turning away.

Damon ran a hand through his messy hair. He knew he wouldn't be able to get Elena out of his head, so what was the point of even trying. Before he knew it, he was calling to his brother. "I'll give you a lift in."

Looking back at his reflection, he saw a smirk crawl across his face. After all, if you can't run away from the devil, you might as well go willing.

**XxX **

"Who was that hot guy you were with last night?" Bonnie asked Elena. She leant against the lockers while Elena was pulling books out.

"Which guy?" Elena questioned, as if there had been more than one.

Bonnie shot her a look. "C'mon Elena, that hot guy you were dancing with!"

"Oh, him." Elena shrugged as if it was nothing. "It was nothing. So, what did you do?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I was just making the rounds, chatting to some guys, you know. Matt and Caroline were being disgusting, they were taking absolutely every opportunity to explore each others' mouths-"

Before the description got too graphic, the bell rang. With relief Elena said goodbye to Bonnie and went to her chemistry case. This was a boring class, which left her mind free to think of Damon.

The class was thirty five minutes gone when a messenger came in from the office. The teacher read out the orange slip. "Elena Gilbert," she said, causing the teenage girl to jump out her skin, "please report to the office. Take your things with you."

Involuntarily Elena's heart sped up. This had been what happened with her parents; she had been called to the office, met Jeremy there, and Alaric and Jenna met them in the limo to explain that their parents had died in a plane crash.

Gathering her things, she hastily went down the hall to the office. The woman there informed her that her aunt and uncle were waiting for her at the back off the school. This was even worse for Elena – her aunt and uncle didn't pick her up and, if they did, they picked her up at the front.

Hurriedly she went to the back of the school. She knew she must look like an idiot, but until you've had that terrible bad news, then you won't understand.

As soon as she saw the car, she stopped. Instant relief flooded her, and quickly following it, curiosity and slight dread.

Damon Salvatore was sitting on top of the blue mustang, wearing sunglasses. Elena couldn't deny that he looked yummy in her leather jacket and black shirt. Taking a deep breath, she began walking towards him.

As she approached him, he slid down so he was leaning against the car. "Elena Gilbert," he addressed her. He lifted his sunglasses, and Elena was greeted by those gorgeous blue eyes again.

Fighting for control, she answered, "Damon Salvatore."

He smirked at her – oh, that cheeky smirk that made her want to stroke round his face. "So I guess this is our first official greeting."

"I guess." Elena didn't really know what to say. When she suddenly remembered why she was out here, however, she snapped at him. "Was it you who pretended to be my aunt – or rather, my uncle?"

He shrugged. "How else could I get you out here?"

"You jerk!" She slapped him on the arm. "Did you have any idea how scared I was?"

"Well, now you're not scared." Secretly he was very impressed. He hadn't expected her to be angry; it just proved that she wasn't the timid little girl that she had made out to be. He stood up straighter, now standing. "So let's go."

Elena blinked at him. "Huh?"

"Get in the car," he commanded.

She laughed at him. "Yeah right. Like I'm going to go anywhere with you!"

Damon went closer to her, until she was almost looking up to her. "Give me one good reason why you shouldn't."

She could literally feel her heart beating against her chest. "Well, you're a Salvatore!"

He grinned. "Is that a good reason?"

The conversation that she'd had with Jeremy flooded back to her. _Is it a good reason? _Ignoring this, she said, "You're a complete stranger."

"No I'm not." He began to list what she knew about him. "You know my favourite book is _Atonement_; you know that my favourite food is strawberries and cream; you know what music I like; and you also know that I think you are stunningly beautiful."

She felt herself blush again, but quickly turned away. She wasn't going with him; she had school to go to. "See you later Damon. Enjoy your day."

But before she could take more than five steps away, she felt his hand on her upper arm. She felt him begin to drag her back towards his car. "What are you doing?" she cried.

He didn't answer, but instead lifted her up and very neatly placed her inside his car. Elena instantaneously tried to open the door, but it was locked. Damon leapt over the top of the car, landing in the driver's seat.

"This isn't funny Damon!" she cried, another wave of panic hitting her as they began to drive away from the school. "This is basically kidnapping!"

He rolled his eyes. "Are all you Gilberts this uptight?"

"I am not uptight," she shot back, feeling hurt that he would think of her as that way. Okay, so she had some issues, but didn't everybody? Besides, what was last night if not fun? "Please Damon, take me back."

"No."

Elena sat back in the seat, crossing her arms. Taking his hand off the wheel, Damon took her schoolbag and flung it in the back seat. Elena glowered at him.

"Where are we going?" she asked him, not daring to look at him.

Damon shrugged. "Outside the town, that's for sure. It would get out soon enough. Any requests?"

"So the kidnapped gets to chose?"

"The kidnapped gets to comment; the kidnapper has the final say."

Elena lifted one shoulder up and then down. "Then no, not really." Her stomach unexpectedly seemed empty, and she remembered the little amount of food she had at breakfast. "Maybe we could get some food?"

She was weakening, and Damon was pleased; she was warming to the idea. "Late breakfast/early lunch it is then."

It hit Elena when they came to the sign that told them they were leaving Mystic Falls. Yet there was also that exhilaration, the one that came whenever she was with Damon. Impulsively she asked the Salvatore, "Am I too uptight?"

He actually seemed to take this into consideration. "You don't want to be," he observed.

"That's a yes." Elena groaned. "I never use to be this way. Once I was crazier than the average teenage girl."

"So what happened?"

This wasn't the time for it. "More on that later," she replied. "I'm too hungry to get into a deep conversation."

Thankfully Damon didn't question it. "What are you in the mood for?" he asked. He smiled. "A burger?"

Elena turned to him, smiling softly. "A burger sounds good." Damon met her gaze, and the two grinned even more.

They didn't stop in the next town, or the town after. Elena didn't question Damon; she realised with shock that she trusted him. She may not trust him fully, but she trusted him enough to take her back to school – or at least home – by the end of the day.

Finally they stopped in a town, which seemed to be extremely busy. "Its market day," Damon explained, getting out the car.

"You come here a lot?" Elena asked. She undid her tie and flung it in the back of the car along with her jacket. Now she didn't look so much like a school girl.

She and Damon began walking down the street. She felt as if she was in a little Italian town: the hustle and bustle seemed so foreign to her. "Sometimes I like to get away from Mystic Falls," he told her.

Elena understood. She didn't know whether it was because she had ditched her jacket, tie and schoolbag, or whether it was because she had ditched Mystic Falls, but she had this unexplained feeling of freedom. "So, do you know any good places?"

He smirked again, that cheeky smirk. "I don't know your definition of 'good', but I like this diner down the road."

"Food?"

"Breakfast consists of pancakes and waffles, while for lunch you can have burgers. Your choice."

Elena sent him her own cheeky smile. "Then let's go."

They were seated in a booth and given the menus. Elena had her meal picked out in two minutes, so she chose to spend the rest of the time to try and stare at Damon. Peeking behind her menu, she could see his gorgeous face studying the menu.

She couldn't help but grin as she hid back behind the menu. After a few minutes of trying to relax herself, she tried to steal another glance. She almost leapt out of her skin when she saw Damon grinning at her after setting down his own menu. They both burst out laughing as the waitress came walking up.

"What will you have?" she asked Damon, who turned to look back at Elena.

"Can I have a large burger and fries please, with a coke please?" She closed the menu and handed it back to the waitress.

"I'll have the steak sandwich please."

When the waitress left, Damon turned back to the Gilbert. "So, you were saying before... About being uptight. What made you change?"

Elena quickly glanced down at the table. "Are you sure you want to know this? It's pretty deep."

Damon analysed her for a moment. "I'm prepared," he reassured her quietly.

She took a gasping breath. "Okay. Um, well, I guess I haven't been myself ever since I my parents died." She chanced a glance at him. His face was serious, his eyes sympathetic.

"I heard about that," he said. "They died in a plane crash?"

Elena nodded. The waitress appeared with her drink and she shoved it down her throat, grateful for something to distract herself. "They had been on holiday in Paris. Aunt Jenna and Uncle Alaric were staying with us and, when they were informed of the plane crash, came to get us from school.

"I couldn't cry," she admitted. "For some reason, while Jeremy was blubbering, I couldn't cry. I didn't feel anything."

"You were numb," he told her. Very carefully he reached out, taking her hand. She looked up at him, and he was struck by the way her face was so clear: so filled with emotion, no deceit or pretence; honesty.

"Ever since then," she continued, "I've had to look after Jeremy. He's my baby brother; I have to watch out for him." Damon nodded; he understood that. "I guess that's why I've become very uptight – aren't parents uptight?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been watching out for Stefan ever since he was born."

"When did your mother die?" she asked, desperate to get off the subject of her own parents' death. If they could find some common ground, it would be okay.

A shadow passed over Damon's face. "When I was seven. There were complications during the pregnancy."

Elena sensed Damon didn't want to get into this, so she slowly tried to change the subject. "It's amazing that you and your brother are so close."

Damon grinned. "He's my little brother. It's just like you are with Jeremy – you're their sibling and parent at the same time."

_No_, Elena thought, watching his face carefully. Though she wished her relationship with Jeremy was strong – and it probably was – Damon and Stefan's brotherhood seemed deeper. She wasn't sure of this, of course – but seeing the way his blue eyes lit up about his brother reassured her of her theory.

She leant back suddenly, unaware that she had even gotten so close. "What are we doing?" she whispered.

Damon knew what she meant, but nonetheless he raised an eyebrow. "We're having a late breakfast/early lunch."

"No, I mean... You're a Salvatore; I'm a Gilbert. In name alone we're enemies."

Damon placed his elbows on the table. "We're enemies because of our parents. But parents make mistakes."

She narrowed her eyes. "What about Katherine?" she asked. She felt a stab of victory as she saw him wince, mixed with disappointment. "You thought you were kissing her that night. Are you going to deny it?"

His eyes turned hard, like frozen ice. "You're not exactly innocent either. You're going out with Matt Donovan?"

Elena shook her head. "I'm just his beard-"

"Wait." Damon's voice was filled with glee. "Are you telling me he's gay?"

"No! I'm his beard because he's going out with Caroline."

Damon frowned. "Your cousin?"

"Yes. Her mother doesn't want her to date, so Matt and I pretend that we're dating so no one would get suspicious." She shot him a glance that, if looks could kill, would have him in a coffin. "You can't tell anyone."

"Fine," he agreed.

"Now," she said, leaning forward. "Who is Katherine?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Katherine Pierce."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

Damon wanted to lie, but he couldn't. "Sort of."

The young girl glowered at him. "She either is or she isn't, Damon. Pick."

He couldn't _help _but like this girl; straight to the point. "Katherine and I had an argument before the party. She hasn't called me. As far as I'm concerned, we are."

Elena sighed. She would have said something but the food came. Elena's eyes widened when she saw it, and greedily she dug in. Damon was amused at the way she ate; like she was a little kid.

"Okay," she said after swallowing an enormous amount of food. "Does Katherine know that you two are broken up? 'Cause if she doesn't, then this looks pretty bad."

"She hasn't called me back," Damon informed her. "If she doesn't call me back, how can I tell her that it's over?"

Elena deliberated while chewing on a chip. "Look," Damon continued. "Let's just pretend this is a first date. You're not a Gilbert, I'm not a Salvatore; we're just two people out on a date."

She paused for a moment, and nodded. Then a smile started, slow at first but widened so it looked as if it would snap. "So this is a date?"

Every particle in Damon wanted to deny it, but he felt a grin of his own coming across his face. "Yeah," he agreed. "I guess it is."


	5. Chapter Four

**Okay, this chapter didn't go how I planned it – it was even better! It was going to be so much more boring than it is now. I have to say, I'm quite pleased. **

**I know Damon will probably seem a little OOC, but I figured if Damon wasn't a vampire then he wouldn't have any reason to be angry at Stefan or upset over Katherine; besides, I want people to get the feeling that Damon is happier with Elena, so of course he will be a little OOC – probably a LOT OCC.**

**Just a little note: in this Elena is not adopted. I know I'm changing a lot in this story, but it is AU, and besides, I just don't think it would work as well if Elena wasn't an actual Gilbert.**

**Before we begin, I would just like to dedicate this chapter to Dark Alana, my best and favourite reviewer. I hope you like this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters – though I DO own Andrew, Sophia and Lizbeth; ALL MINE! **

**XxX**

**Chapter Four **

The two lovers walked out the diner, their smiles shining from their faces as if from the sun itself. "So," Damon said as they both paused in front of the restaurant. "Where do you want to go?"

Elena smiled up at him, finding it surprisingly easy. "You know this town; lead the way."

Damon grinned back down at her. "Okay." He started walking down the street, Elena right there with him. On impulse – wasn't that what Matt had been saying all along? – she took his hand, intertwining her thin fingers with his nimble ones.

Feeling her warm hand in his, he turned to her face. He was smiling, one of those stunning warm smiles that made his eyes light up. She beamed back at him, and the two of them held their gaze before looking ahead of them, though their smiles didn't leave their faces.

"So, any hints on where we're going?" she asked him.

He shot her a glance. "It's nowhere special," he warned her.

"A lot of people have taken me places that are 'special'; I'd rather go somewhere normal."

They rounded the corner, still holding hands. He nodded towards the shop on the corner. It looked a little dark and gloomy, but Elena's heart leapt when she saw the books in the front window. "A book store?" she asked, not trying to hide the joy in her voice.

"Since you had three favourite books, I thought that you'd like to wander in and see if you could find some more."

She glanced at him. "You don't mind?"

"I really don't mind," he told her, leading inside. It was dim on the inside, but Elena didn't care. She immediately went to a far corner and immersed herself in the novels. Damon smirked at her and walked to the counter. "Hey Andrew," he greeted the owner.

The man didn't look up from his accounting book. "Damon," he replied, slightly crisply. "How is it for the rich?"

"A little dull. I may go buy myself a new house with a pool, just so I can hold parties in it."

The man chuckled. "I have to admit Damon, I have met a lot of people in my life, but you are definitely one in a million."

"Duh," he answered. "There can't be two of me."

Andrew groaned, looking up for the first time. His blue eyes were even lighter than Damon's, emphasised by his grey hair and wrinkled face, reminding the boy of a Shar Pei. "Lord have mercy. If there were two Damon's the world would explode in twenty four hours. I'm still worried about your brother turning out like you."

Damon laughed. "Don't worry about Stefan. My little brother is too serious to be impulsive."

"Anyone would be too serious compared to you." He stopped writing now, giving the young boy his full attention. "You look..."

"What? Pale, exhausted, like I usually do? Or beautiful, like I always am?"

"How about happy, like you never are?"

Damon stared at him, for a moment speechless. "Happy?" he repeated.

Andrew nodded, somewhat briskly for an elderly man. "Happy," he said. "Your eyes are bright; your cheeks are flushed." He tilted his head. "Are you sick?"

Before Damon could answer, Elena appeared. "Okay," she said, talking quickly. "I've only spent a quarter of the time that I usually do, though I definitely want to come back here! There are so many books, even rare ones that you'd _never _find in Mystic Falls-" She abruptly realised that Andrew was in the conversation. She smiled a sort of embarrassed yet "what's done is done" smile and said, "Sorry. I'm-"

"Elena Gilbert," finished Andrew. "You look just like your mother."

Damon saw Elena's sharp intake of breath. Many people didn't mention her parents after learning of her death, and now they had been spoken about twice in one day. "You knew-?-"

"Yes." He turned his eyes on Damon. "I use to know his parents too. I taught English Lit at the school that you go to."

"Is that how you know me?" Elena asked interestedly. "From my parents?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes, though I never met you or your brother. I was sorry to hear about their deaths last year."

Damon could tell Elena was getting emotional, so he picked up one of the books she had picked out. "So they're good then?"

Elena turned eagerly to Damon. "Really good. You have a great selection of books, Mr...?"

"Call me Andrew," said the man pleasantly. "Once you get to my age, you forget all these pleasantries." The phone rang, and Andrew hustled into the storeroom to answer it.

She looked at Damon; he peered at her out the corner of his eye, seeing her curious smiling gaze. "What?" he asked.

"You know what, Damon. I never believed that Damon Salvatore talked to old men; I thought he would push them to the ground."

"You make me sound like the playground bully."

"I'm sorry," Elena murmured, wrapping her arms round the boy-man's waist. "I'm just discovering there's more to you."

Damon smiled softly, kissing her on the forehead. "You've only just started kid."

Elena pulled a face. "I'm not a kid."

"You're eighteen; I'm twenty five. To me, that's a kid."

"But I'm more mature that you are."

"Still a kid," teased Damon.

"Well," said Elena, not succeeding in hiding a grin. "If I'm a kid, then I guess I'm too young to date such an _old _man." She pretended to leave, but Damon grabbed her hand and twirled her back to face him.

"Then again, maybe you're not a kid."

"Good boy," Elena replied.

"You make me sound like a dog."

"Now," said Andrew, coming back. "That was my daughter Sophia. She needs to pick up _her_ daughter from nursery, so I'm going to get back and mind the shop."

"The shop?" Elena asked, puzzled. "I thought-"

"This is my first shop," Andrew corrected her. "But I also own an antique shop with my daughter who works there. We live just next door to it."

"I didn't know you had a granddaughter," Damon said pleasantly.

Andrew smiled softly. "Elizabeth, though everyone calls her Lizbeth. I call her Lizzie."

"How about we come up with you?" Damon turned to Elena. "You'll love the antique shop."

Normally Elena would think, _Oh great, stuck with some old man. _But he had taught her parents, and besides, he seemed like a nice man. Why not? So after paying the books, they walked up the hill towards the house.

It was so beautiful. The area of houses had a different style: whereas the centre of the town had a happy and kind of calm, but at the same time busy feel to it, this area gave off a tranquil and serene feeling. The houses were small, but nonetheless had porches and balconies. Wisterias hung from the house that Andrew entered. Damon followed without hesitation, and Elena went with them.

It was a strange shop. It was tidy, but at the same time there were tables filled with items, such as a china cat, an old music box, a little doll. There were price tags on everything, the rosewood dresser, the mahogany coffee table. It was organised chaos.

"It's lovely," Elena breathed. She instantly felt relaxed. _Coming here is better than going to the spa. _

"Hey Dad." A girl with dark brown hair – obviously dyed as the colour was almost black, though somehow not as dark as Damon's – came through the room. She had a round face and seemed curvy, though it wasn't obvious that she'd had a baby. "I'm just going to pick up Lizabeth, I shan't be long." Her brown eyes lay on Damon and Elena. "Hey Damon. Who's your friend?"

"I'm Elena," she answered.

"Pleased to meet you Elena," she said, extending her hand. "I'm Sophia. Are you staying, only I can't really talk now-"

"Of course, you go pick up your daughter," Elena replied, nodding her head.

Sophia smiled both of them before kissing her father on the cheek and heading outside. "Now," Andrew said, turning to the "children". "Let's have tea."

**XxX **

Elena was leaning on the porch, watching the scenery. From here you could see over the rest of the town: it looked so beautiful from here, as if she was able to see it from another point of view.

Her phone buzzed, bringing her out of her peace. She read the text message: **Wher r u? B xxx **

Elena bit her lip. She didn't like lying, but what could she say? "I'm with Damon at an old man's house in a different town"? Yes, Bonnie would be _fine _with that.

**I went home sick. Hope I'll b back 2moro. E xxx **

Back in the kitchen, Damon was helping Andrew with the tea. He hadn't noticed the silence until Andrew interrupted it. "So, she's something special then isn't she?"

Damon raised a well-practised eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Andrew smiled crookedly. "You've been coming here for the past three years, and not once have you brought anyone with you."

"It wasn't intentional." Well, it had partly: he had been intending to spend his day off here, but he hadn't thought he was going to bring Elena, or that he was going to be here for so long.

He hadn't thought that he and Elena would get on so well, period.

**XxX **

By the time it was three, the Elena and Damon had been with Andrew, Sophia and little Elizabeth for nearly two hours. Yet the time flew by: Elena talked with Andrew about literature, she laughed with Sophia about children, she played with Lizabeth. In fact, she would have happily stayed there all day if Damon hadn't gently reminded that they had to get back.

Elena hugged Sophia goodbye. Normally she didn't get so close to people so quickly, but with this family... She didn't know whether it was because she was already so relaxed, but she just felt so comfortable with them. "I'll come back," Elena promised.

"If you're friends with Damon, then you definitely will be. He comes here as often as he can."

Elena couldn't say she blamed him. "Does he come here every weekend?"

"We see him every other weekend at least, though sometimes he doesn't stop by. He just likes to come here to calm down. No one here knows the drama between the Salvatore and Gilbert families. He's not surrounded by stares."

Elena had never thought Damon would get sick of his glamorous lifestyle. Then again, didn't she know better than anyone? Many people believed that she had a wonderful rich life, with plenty of friends and family, dancing and partying every night. How wrong could they be?

**XxX**

"Did I impress you?" Damon and Elena were walking back down towards the car, inching closer to Mystic Falls.

Elena smiled, staring ahead. "You did, even though you basically kidnapped me."

He grinned at her, slightly crooked. "Did I impress you enough for you to forgive me?"

"That depends."

"On?"

Elena stopped so they were now opposite each other. She was taking the plunge here, and she couldn't help but feel nervous. "On if you'll take me here again."

His cobalt blue eyes lit up, making Elena want to laugh; he seemed like a child. "You want to come again?"

Elena nodded, glancing round the area. "I love it here," she replied honestly. "It's so beautiful, and Sophia and Andrew are _so _nice. I totally understand why you come here; I'm just so relaxed."

"Well," said Damon, reaching into his pocket. "I got you a souvenir."

"Damon," she began, holding up her hand. "Please don't get me a gift. You already bought me here _and _breakfast/lunch. You don't need to give me anything more."

"It's not a gift; it's a reminder of today. Besides, Andrew let me have it for free." He dangled a beautiful silver necklace. The end of it was a big, round circle, with lines over it and a little red stone (a ruby? A garnet?) on the top of it. It was strangely beautiful, even though it shouldn't have been; it wasn't normally her taste at all.

Subconsciously she reached out for it. It was surprisingly warm, perhaps because of the sunlight? "It's so pretty."

Damon's grin grew. Gently he lifted it over her head and fastened it. "How does it feel?"

"Surprisingly light." With a deep breath, she turned to face him. "Is it me, or does this feel like boyfriend/girlfriend?"

Damon pulled a face. "I wouldn't know; I haven't really had a girlfriend. Katherine was the closest thing to a girlfriend I had, and she was more friends with benefits-"

"Too much information," Elena said quickly. _If we are going to be boyfriend and girlfriend, _that's _going to come up. _"But... How do you... What do you _want_?" she asked him, stumbling over the words. This was the girl who wanted to be an author, yet she struggled over saying what she meant. "From this, I mean."

Damon paused for a moment, deliberating over the question. Yet, he knew what he wanted. "In the simplest form," he said, staring down at her. "I want you. All the time, every minute of every day."

Elena felt her heart flutter. Matt had never said anything like that to her, and they had been dating since they were in their matching cribs. She reached up, moving her hand over her face. "Then I guess you're my boyfriend."

Damon smirked, very sexily. "Okay, so you're my girlfriend. Get use to having a guy that works in a real job, kid."

"Didn't we have this conversation earlier?" Both acted like it was casual, the way they were slowly closing into each other. "I'm not a kid."

She gently pressed her lips onto his. Slowly he became less tense, relaxing into her embrace. _You're something else_, Damon silently agreed.

**XxX **

She peeked over the hedge. Seeing no one from the Gilbert household or their friends, she opened the garden door and slipped inside. She gingerly picked her way behind another hedge, walking forward until she found herself under the archway.

"Hey." Nearly jumping out her skin, she span round.

She released all the breath in her body, the pent up anxiety being let go. "Jeremy," she breathed.

He smiled crookedly at her. It was something he rarely did anymore, what with his parents' death and his punishments that seemed to overlap from one into the other. "Anna," he said, his voice lighter and more filled than previously. "You made it."

She hugged him. "Couldn't resist. How's HA going?"

"HA – oh, House Arrest? Pretty boring to be honest. It's so annoying, they took away my computer and mobile me so I can't even talk to you."

Anna wasn't the flirty type of girl, but she fluttered her eyelashes all the same. "What do you want to talk about?"

The unspoken elephant in the room lingered with them, but their families' history came between them. "Just...to say hi," Jeremy finished lamely. He was only fifteen after all.

Anna visibly deflated. "Oh. Well, hi." There was a pause. "I guess I'd better get going." She gave him a goodbye hug and moved away, gingerly walking back to her house.

"Damn," muttered Jeremy. Another lost opportunity.

As if there really was one: he was a Gilbert; she was with the Salvatore clan. A romance like that could never survive.

**XxX **

The door burst open and Elena rushed in. She had heard Bonnie and Caroline downstairs; they were just coming in. It was cutting it close, but she would be able to make it. _I hope! _

She threw her jacket and tie on her chair and quickly began to take off her blouse. She could hear the voice of Ms. Plumber and the slight creak of the stairs as they began to climb up to her room. She had managed to pull of her blouse, but there was no time to get her skirt and tights off. Elena threw herself under the covers, hoping no one would notice that she hadn't actually been in bed all day.

As soon as she had managed to still herself, Ms. Plumber knocked briskly on the door and entered. "Guests for you, Miss Elena. They wanted to see if you were feeling better." At the subtle look Ms. Plumber gave her, Elena knew she was being silently interrogated and threatened. But Ms. Plumber wasn't her mother or aunt, even though she might as well be. Still, Elena wasn't afraid to put her in her place if necessary.

Bonnie's face showed concern. "Hey Elena. How are you feeling?"

"Um, okay," Elena murmured, trying to appear weak. "I just felt like I was going to be sick. I had to get home."

"Poor you," Bonnie replied sympathetically.

"No wonder we didn't see you at lunch." Caroline placed some of Elena's makeup on her lips, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Elena knew Caroline cared, but she was just...a little self-absorbed. "I hope you get better. The Diamond's dance is this weekend, and you need to be healthy. The Salvatores will be there; we'll need to have our game faces on."

Elena sent Bonnie a look through pretend blurry eyes. "Yes, she's been hanging out with the cheerleaders." She tilted her head, staring at Elena. "You looked flushed. Are you feverish?"

At those words Ms. Plumber came forward as if by magic and stuck a thermometer in her mouth. Elena spat it out. "I feel fine now," she said quickly. "I guess it was just a day thing."

Bonnie glanced at the clock. "I just came to see how you were, I need to go and get food for my little brother and sister." She called out a goodbye as she hurried down the stairs.

Caroline started across the room, intent on going in her own bedroom to sort out which outfit to wear for the dance when she happened to glance at Elena. "Hey, were you wearing that necklace this morning?"

Elena, trying not to freeze, raised her hand to touch the necklace. In her haste she had forgotten to take it off. It must have looked strange, appearing to only wear her bra and necklace. Then, inspiration came to her. "I found it in some of my mother's things. I don't know, I thought it was pretty."

Caroline smiled. "Aunt Rose had good taste," was all she said. She turned away and walked out the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Ms. Plumber cast an eye over Elena. "So, where were you today?"

"I decided to visit Mom and Dad." Elena hoped that Ms. Plumber would accept that as an excuse. "I'm getting a headache. Could you see yourself out?"

Once Ms. Plumber left, Elena lay back on her bed, her eyes closed in exhaustion. Lying sure was hard work. But a second later she opened her dark brown eyes, a smile forming on her face. _Damon. _She fingered the necklace and then – she couldn't resist – began jumping on the bed. _Damon, Damon, Damon. _

**XxX **

Damon entered his own house in a far more casual pace. His father wasn't home, just Stefan, so he didn't have to worry about being interrogated.

He went into the kitchen and poured himself a drink – red wine. He filled two glasses and handed one to Stefan as he came down the stairs.

"Thanks," Stefan said, surprised. "You don't normally let me drink."

"I'm in a charitable mood. Besides, you're in your own house, it's not illegal."

Stefan followed his brother into their living room. The boys had a separate living room from the main living room. They didn't call it that in front of him, of course, but that was what it was to them. They decorated it to their tastes, and felt comfortable to leave things lying around. Well, Damon was – Stefan tied up now and again.

"You're in a good mood," Stefan observed.

"Am I?" Damon smiled at his brother as he collapsed on the sofa.

Stefan had come to notice that, during his days off, Damon would be more relaxed when he arrived home. But... Damon seemed not just relaxed, but _happy_. Damon could be happy, but not _this _happy. "What happened today?"

Damon wanted to tell Stefan, but... How could he? How would his brother take the news? Stefan was his _brother_; his little brother who he protected from their father and took care of. He loved him more than Elena... Well, it was definitely close.

"Nothing; the usual."

Stefan had an injured look on his face. "You're lying."

Damon had forgotten that his brother could always tell when he wasn't completely honest. After all, he usual was. "I'm not."

"You are."

"Am not."

"So are."

"Am not times ten."

"So are times twenty."

"Am not times a hundred."

"So are times a thousand."

"Times infinity!"

"Damon, just tell me what's going on!"

The eldest Salvatore sighed. "I can't, Stef."

Stefan frowned. "Why not?" he asked in a hurt voice. "You can always tell me anything."

"Look," Damon began. "I don't want to tell you this, because it'll cause problems."

Stefan rose in his seat slightly. "You didn't do anything illegal, did you?"

"No! C'mon little brother, I do plenty of illegal things and tell you about it. I will tell you – eventually. I'm just not sure whether this...thing that's happening will be worth telling about. But when I'm sure, I swear, you'll be the first – and probably only – person I'll tell."

Stefan seemed a little anxious, but sat back down in his chair. "Okay D, I won't ask. But, if this thing is gets serious, and too over your head, let me know so we can sort this together."

Damon winked. "Don't worry about it, S." He reached over and ruffled his hair. Stefan pulled back playfully and went to touch Damon's. "Hey!" cried Damon, nearly falling off the sofa. "Do _not _touch the hair, okay? The time and energy it takes means it's worth more than your life!"

"Won't be soon!" Stefan tackled Damon to the floor and the two wrestled like brothers do.

Damon knew, right then, he was torn. He loved his little brother – but he adored Elena too. If he was forced to choose, how would he?


	6. Chapter Five

**Bonjour! **

**Don't worry, I'm not writing in French – as if I could. So, this is the fifth chapter of **_**Love's Battle. **_**I'm having a pretty good day so far, and I'm glad I managed to get this chapter out. I even revised for two and a half straight hours. Just for the record: Cromwell was an idiot. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters – only the storyline! **

**XxX**

**Chapter Five **

**Almost **

Katherine Pierce was bored. She had nothing to do: she didn't have to go to work (as if); the small number of girl friends she had were making up with their boyfriends or breaking up with their boyfriends, or just too bitchy to be worth the trouble.

She was lying on her bed in her pyjamas, flickering through television. Since when was television made for idiots? She switched the television off and flung the remote angrily across the room. Then she checked her phone for the tenth time that morning. There was no missed calls, no sweet, loving, apologetic text messages.

Katherine frowned. Damon was the clingiest boyfriend she'd had. _Well, _the girl thought with a smirk. _They're all clingy, but Damon is definitely number one. _Needless to say, she was surprised by his seemingly lack of interest.

She smirked. Maybe she could cure her boredom and reawaken his interest in her, while also doing something to make them _both _happy at the same time.

Why so surprised? She could be forgiving when she wanted to be.

**XxX **

"Boys! Downstairs now!"

Damon's eyes flew open, and the man-boy groaned. He had been having a _very _vivid dream of Elena, and his father's voice interrupting him wasn't the way he wanted it to end.

Glancing at the clock, Damon realised it was eight o'clock. After a late night with Tiffany – if that was her name, Damon stopped remembering after his babysitter – Giuseppe would _not _be in a good mood, hence he would not want to be kept waiting. Throwing on a grey t-shirt, Damon left his room.

He met his younger brother on the landing. "What's Dad yelling about?" Stefan moaned as he followed Damon.

"Dad's always yelling," Damon grumbled, still thinking of his large, empty and very welcoming bed. They entered the living room which linked to the kitchen to find their father staring in the mirror, fiddling with his tie.

"Yes?" Damon asked, allowing the irritation to be heard. He could feel Stefan tense behind him. Damon and Giuseppe were always bickering; Stefan was the one who hated the confrontation. He wanted them to get along like a proper family, but Damon pointed out on more than one occasion that it was too late for that. Stefan couldn't help but agree with him.

Giuseppe glowered at Damon's reflection. "Don't get smart with me boy."

"That wasn't smart." Damon went to the kitchen and poured two glasses of orange juice. "If you want smart-"

"I said don't start."

Damon gave a glass to Stefan. "Would you like to explain the early wake-up call?"

Their father, old and grey hair, turned to face his sons. "Tonight is the Diamond dance. As you know, it's an annual tradition for all the founding families to be there, which means that we need to attend as well as the Gilberts."

_Elena. _

"We need to show them up – that _does not _mean any fist fights or name calling. We will behave in a dignified manner, got that?" He looked at Damon when he said that.

The eldest Salvatore found a grin on his face. "Would I Father?"

Giuseppe growled. "Yes, you would. I'm not in the mood to be bailing you, Tyler or Stefan out of prison. If anything happens I may let you rot in there." Without saying goodbye Giuseppe left. The brothers waited for the slam of the door before each letting out a sigh of relief.

"Jackass," Damon said, glaring at where his father had been standing.

"Damon-"

"C'mon Stefan! I'm not overreacting here, he was a jerk. God, you wouldn't think that either of us were his kids."

Stefan began to get out some cereal. Damon snatched box away from him, placed it back in the cupboard and turned on the stove. "No cereal. If that damn dance is tonight, then we're going to need all her strength. Get the eggs and bacon out."

Stefan started pulling ingredients out of the fridge. "Omelette?"

Damon paused for a moment. "Okay. Bring the cheese and peppers out too." He began making the food for the two of them. "God, the Diamond dance. I completely forgot about that. I hate the wretched thing."

"I think everyone except the parents and aging couples hate it. It's so boring. The only fun is getting at the Gilberts."

"Mm," replied Damon, non-committable. He had spent a three days hiding his relationship with Elena from his brother and, truthfully, it felt rotten. He loved his brother, but he was quickly becoming aware of his feelings for Elena too. He had spent three days without her, and though he emailed and text her, it still didn't feel enough. He grinned, thinking of the nicknames they had given each other...

"_So," Elena says, smiling at me. We're in the car, almost in town. I've stopped now; we've both decided that Elena should walk into town herself. I've even driven round so she's close to her house. "How are we going to do this?" _

"_What do you mean?" I say with a smirk. _

"_How are we going to sneak around, y'know, arrange to see each other?" _

"_Text, email, secret knock, secret location."_

_She laughs, throwing back her head as she does so. _So beautiful... _For a moment, I cannot function. "You've been planning this for a while, aren't you? Dreamt about becoming a spy when you were a kid?" _

"_I've had good training, what with our quarrelling families." I can see the light in her eyes dim ever so slightly at the mention of that. Quickly I change the subject. "Seriously though, I think we should have different names on our phones. I mean, Damon and Elena aren't exactly common, are they?" _

_Elena raises her eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?" _

_I lean back in the chair. _If only we were in the backseat of the car. _I wasn't thinking of making out; I was imagining holding her, having her lean against my chest. "These names should mean something." _

"_Like romantic couples?" Her eyes lit up. _

"_Have I found a romantic?" I ask teasingly. _

_She lightly punches me in the shoulder. "Oh come on. It's no big deal. If they were romantic couples, we would remember them." _

_What the hell. "Okay. What do you have in mind?"_

"_How about Katie and Hubble, from _The Way We Were_?" _

"_Huh?" I've never heard of this movie. "What are you talking about? I don't want to be some wimpy guy named Hubble!" _

"_He – Oh, never mind. What do you suggest?" _

"_Cecilia and Robbie?" _

"_I have a cousin named Robbie. Henry and Clare?" _

"_I have at least five Clares in my cell." I sigh, running my hands through my hair. "We need something old fashioned. Some names that aren't so common around here." _

_There's a pause, and suddenly Elena suggests, "What about Romeo and Juliet?" At my look she quickly says, "I know, but c'mon: their families were fighting, ours are. It's a lot like our lives."_

_I pull a face. "Okay, that's true. And there won't be any Romeos or Juliets on our phones, but... Do I have to be Romeo? He was a fickle idiot who fell for one girl after another." _

_Elena turned her head sideways at me. "And Katherine?" she says softly, so I can barely hear. _

_I stare blankly at her. "She's nothing," I reply steadily. I mean it too; compared to Elena, Katherine is simply the clouds in the sky; Elena is the sun. _

_Slowly, she smiles at me. I reach forward and touch her hair, soft and sleek under my hand. She tips her head, so her cheek was resting in the palm of his hand. _'He's got the whole world in his hands' _I think, singing the familiar hymn in my head. _

"_Romeo and Juliet," Elena says, her eyes closing. _

_I sigh. "Romeo and Juliet," I agree. _

_That story didn't end well, did it? _

After Damon and Stefan had eaten, they walked upstairs. "I think I might _actually _go back to bed," Damon said, yawning as he opened his door.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Both Salvatore boys turned their heads to Damon's bedroom, nearly jumping at the change of voice. Their eyes fell on his bed. The covers had been made, with a stunningly attractive girl lying on it, only wearing lingerie. Katherine's long curly hair was pushed off her face, and she was smiling seductively at him.

Stefan, who had had a few girlfriends but had never actually gotten this far with them, allowed his mouth to fall open and his eyes widened. "Wow."

Damon gritted his teeth. "Stefan, go to your room."

"Is she a C cup?"

"Stefan! Bed!"

Stefan smirked. "Have fun brother. Keep it down." He slammed his door, going to his own bed. On second thought, he put his headphones in. After all, he didn't want to hear anything.

Katherine stood up. Her hair was very long, brushing down her back and waving through the air as she walked nimbly towards Damon. He stood there, his face made of stone as she stepped forward. This didn't put her off; she hadn't expected Damon to still be angry with her, but she was confident that she could persuade him to see things her way.

"I've missed you," she said, her voice so sappy that it made him think of sickly toffee. "I'm sorry we had a fight." She moved her head under his ear, gently nipping it. "I want to make up."

Damon felt himself stiffing. His body wanted him to give in, to kiss her and force her on the bed, like they had done so many times before. But her long curly haired reminded him of Elena's hair, the first night he'd seen her. _Yes, the clouds may be pretty, but the sun gives warmth and therefore life. _

He found himself smiling as he bowed his head down to her ear. He could see her smiling too, and imagined her like a cat, purring in satisfaction. "Nah," he whispered in her ear.

Katherine froze, and Damon pulled his head away so he could look down at her. He wanted to see her face, which was indeed stunned. "What?"

"I think you should leave."

Katherine's mouth was open, and then she laughed, slightly nervous. "Seriously, Damon. I know we've been fighting, but I love you."

Any other time, those words would have made Damon's day. Now he couldn't care less. "That's a shame, because I don't love you. You should get dressed – but then again, if you want to leave like that, you can."

She stared at him. Damon _loved _her; he _adored _her. "Less than a week ago we were cuddling in bed. Now you want nothing to do with me?"

Damon smirked at her. "I always said you were smart, even if it does tend to be vindictive."

He tried to push past her, but she placed her hand on his chest. "Damon, this can't be because I didn't turn up to the ball. What's going on?"

There was no option. He couldn't tell her about Elena: Katherine would be so furious that it would be difficult to decide what she would do first: kill Elena or spread the word about a Gilbert and a Salvatore being together.

"I'm sick of your manipulative mind games; I'm sick of you getting your way regardless of how other people feel." Her refusal to go to the dance with him, without giving any excuse, was just one of the things she had done. She didn't give a damn about what was important to him, only if it mattered to her.

He opened the bedroom door. "Leave."

The girl stepped forward. Her brown eyes were flashing angrily. "Bastard," she hissed. "Who is she? Who's the girl? Did she sleep with you? Tell me!"

Of course Katherine would go to the worst option. Though this time, she was right, at least partly. Damon rolled his eyes at her. "You would think that, wouldn't you?"

"It's true, isn't it? Who did you dance with at the ball? Which slut was it?" Katherine was now only inches from his face. If she was a snake, she would be spitting at him.

Damon backed away. "I want you gone."

As he went to the door, Katherine called out, "No one says no to me!" She stood tall, glowering at the Salvatore.

He paused at the doorway, turning back at her. "I believe I just did." With those parting words, he slammed the door, leaving a shocked and very furious Katherine standing in the room.

**XxX **

Stefan had been drifting to sleep listening to Alicia Keys (though he would never admit it) when the door opened and his older brother stormed in. "Damon?"

He locked the bedroom door behind him. "I need to use your shower."

As Damon went towards the bathroom, Stefan sat up, pulling his iPod out. "What's going on? I thought... Y'know, you and Katherine would be busy."

"There is no me and Katherine." He switched the shower on until it was freezing cold. He stepped inside, and for a few seconds he felt relief. Quickly he stepped out again, wrapping a towel round his shivering body.

Stefan leant against the doorframe, smirking. "What happened? She turned you down?"

Damon glowered at him. "For your information, little brother, I turned _her _down. You saw her; it was obvious that she wanted me." He dressed again and pushed past Stefan, going to his brother's bed. "I want to go to sleep now, and since my bed's occupied..."

Stefan crawled into bed, on the other side. "Damon," he hissed quietly.

"Mm?" murmured his brother, his eyes closed, though he was facing Stefan.

"Why did you turn her down?"

There was silence for a moment. "Because," said Damon, opening his clear blue eyes, "there are better things out there than that manipulative bitch."

**XxX **

"I hate this dance." Caroline placed the gold lipstick over her lips. It suited the dark gold dress she was wearing, along with her golden heels.

Elena gazed in the mirror. _Hair up or down? _she mused. Normally she couldn't care less about how she wore her hair – especially when she was going to this snore-fest – but tonight she was going to see Damon – or Romeo, as was his nickname. She smiled in the mirror, and her reflection beamed back.

She hadn't seen Damon in three days, though it felt like a lifetime. The emails and texts comforted her, though. She smiled, remembering when she had been sitting in her maths lesson. Half-way through learning the quadratic equation she had received a text from "Romeo".

**Thinking of u. **** xxx **

Elena smiled, texting back. **Miss u 2 xxx **

He texted back a few minutes later. **WHEN CAN I C U? **

She grinned to herself. **Hopefully soon! Xxx **

And now she was going to see him tonight! She twirled round happily, which didn't go unnoticed by Caroline. She stared at her cousin curiously. "What's gotten into you? Normally you dread this dance more than I do."

"Oh, c'mon," she said. "It's not so bad. We'll go round, see some people. We can leave by nine."

"We'll see the Salvatores," Caroline pointed out. "You looking forward to that?"

_Yes_. "Of course not. But things could be worse."

"Hey girls." Aunt Jenna walked in, dressed in a white and gold patterned dress. Elena remembered her wedding day, watching her aunt walking down the aisle to her now Uncle Alaric. They had been planning to live the simple life, in a quiet country house. Little did they know that, because of her parents' death, they would be looking after Elena and Jeremy with the huge fortune at their fingertips.

Elena didn't believe they were misusing it. She just wished everything was different.

She was feeling a little down because of this when she stepped into the grand ballroom. All of her old family friends and acquaintances were there, people she had known for years. She saw Matt and Bonnie, who smiled and waved. She saw the Diamond's precious daughters, blonde Sadie and redhead Jude, chatting with some old town lawyers. Jude was her age, she should say hello. But the sight of one person made her stop, her hands clinging on the stairway.

On the opposite side of room, Giuseppe, Damon and Stefan had just entered. Damon was a little irritated: his father had just given him and Stefan the same speech he had this morning, obviously thinking they had forgotten. Stefan could see how annoyed his brother was, and was standing in between them in an attempt to buffer any comments.

"Just another dumb dance," muttered Damon, staring round the room.

Giuseppe growled, though kept a smile on his face. "Damon, I swear, if you don't behave I'll take my belt to you."

"Whatever," muttered Damon, stepping forward. He forced his eyes to scan every girl, looking for one in particular.

And just like that, he found her.

She was wearing a glossy red dress. It cut over her breasts in a v-shape, and was short so it showed her legs. Her gorgeous long legs... Her beautiful coffee coloured hair... It was almost as if he had forgotten her.

Her brown eyes met his. They shared a quick smile, and Damon gave her a wink before turning away.

"What are you smiling at?" Bonnie asked.

Elena made her way down the stairs. "Just thinking about pudding. It's fun to say, fun it eat..."

"Are you okay, Elena?" Matt asked, his eyes confused.

She flashed him a grin. "I'm absolutely fine Matt!"

The teenage girl strutted across the ballroom to the table where glasses of wine were laid out. Damon tried to keep his eyes off her, he really did, but Elena was purposely putting herself in front of him. He couldn't resist making his way to the drinks table – what could he say? He was a risk taker.

He slowly went to the table, putting just enough space between them so they wouldn't seem to be talking. "Red wine?" he murmured under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.

Elena knew enough not to glance at him when talking. "White wine?" she said, referring to his choice.

"Sure. It's elegant, yet with a surprisingly...upbeat flavour. It looks as if it should be cool and sweet, refreshing, when it isn't." She saw him smirking to thin air. "Its appearance is different to what it actually is."

She smiled at thin air. "Yeah, well, red wine's doesn't pretend. It's strong, proud, and doesn't give a damn about what anyone thinks." She turned and boldly stepped next to him. She knew all eyes would be on her and him, the two enemies talking, but she didn't care. This new relationship she had with Damon had somehow given new life to her, and she loved it. "It gets noticed," she whispered before walking away, loving the way she knew her hips were moving as she walked.

Damon had to work hard not to turn his smirk into a huge grin. _There's something special about that girl. _His grin, however, was removed when a certain dark haired girl was standing in front of him.

"Damon," Katherine said, holding a drink in her hand – white wine. There was a scowl on her face, reminding him of a jealous wife.

"Katherine," he replied, echoing her tone.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched Elena talking with Matt. "What were you doing with Elena Gilbert?"

"What do you mean?" Damon asked, glancing at Elena and then back at Katherine. He tried to look as if she shouldn't even be asking him that; as if the answer was obvious.

"What did she say?"

He shrugged. "Just some stupid little comment about how we Salvatores are dicks. Personally I think she should read up on her insults. Now, if you excuse me," he said, brushing her off as politely as he could.

He escaped in the toilets, leaning against the sinks. He had to be more careful. Katherine was a bitch, but she was no fool. If he spent too much time hanging around Elena, she would soon suspect something.

The thought of not being able to see her was almost too much to bear. But Damon comforted himself, knowing that this tomorrow he could take her to the town again. He smiled, wondering what her reaction would be if she knew the town was named Simplicity.

**XxX **

Damon was beginning to regret coming tonight. He hated this dull dance, but this year was the worst. He had to watch as Elena pretended to be with that ignorant Matt Donavan. He watched as she held his hand, parading through the ballroom. He would have wondered whether she wasn't like Katherine, playing with him until she grew bored. But he remembered what she told him about Matt and Caroline.

And of course, the quick looks she gave him. Those looks made his heart leap.

The Salvatores and the Gilberts were seated on opposite ends of the room, as usual. But Damon chose a seat that leant against the back wall, so he could see the Gilbert table.

It wasn't as if he was _trying _to look at Elena. But his eyes seemed to wander over to her, like gravity. Through dinner their gaze met once again. It was like fire; as if he had drank strong brandy. As if he was coming down with a fever.

Suddenly he caught Stefan staring at him. Quickly he ducked his head down, not wanting him to become suspicious. He was already feeling guilty about lying to him; if he started asking questions he might snap.

"Excuse me," Damon muttered, standing. People were going to think there was something wrong with him, the way he kept on going to the bathroom.

Elena herself saw him rise, and she waited a few minutes before excusing herself. As she wandered down the rose coloured corridors, she hoped to find Damon and have a few stolen moments with him. She found herself aching for his touch, just a few words and a kiss. It wasn't enough, but it was better than nothing.

Suddenly she felt arms round her waist, pulling her backwards. She let out an initial shriek before silencing herself, the familiar warm arms wrapping round her stomach. "Hey," his voice murmured in her ear.

She smiled. There were so many versions of a smile, Damon realised, but only one is from real, pure happiness. He saw that on Elena's face now.

"Hi," she whispered back. She turned to face him, and her lips met his. His hands wandered, over her skin, up her neck and through her hair. His kisses moved down to her neck. "Enjoying tonight?"

She heard a possessive growl deep from his throat. "Not when you're with _him_."

Elena was confused for a moment. "Oh, Matt?" At the darkening of Damon's eyes, she couldn't help but laugh. "Matt is a _friend _Damon. That's all. It's only for pretence; he's in love with Caroline."

He paused, glancing up at her. His eyes were as bright as twin moons. "And you?"

The question brought her to a halt. _What does he want me to say? That I'm in love with him too? _Am _I? _

The answer came to her, as easily and fluently as a flowing river. "I'm yours," she replied simply; it was true enough.

There was the smile that had been on Elena's face just a minute ago. His kisses became more passionate, more longing and eager. He kissed her lips again, more zealous than before. Their breathing came out in short, fast keen pants. His hands ran up her legs. Elena expected to have to hit his hands away if he went up any further, just like she had with Matt – but instead he moved up to her waist, pulling her closer to him.

But the sound of footsteps made them stop.

Both bodies froze as they heard the clicking of heels move into the area. Only now did Elena realise Damon had pulled her into a coat closet. She could see her own jet black jacket a few feet away from them.

The person stopped outside the closet. Damon's quick mind was trying to understand: if the person wasn't looking for them, they would continue walking down the hall. _What if they're leaving early? _Damon thought in panic. Both he and Elena looked round for a place to hide. They could take their chances behind the coats, but their feet would be showing – it was unlikely it would work.

Neither of them moved, praying that this wasn't happening. Even when they heard the person walk definitely towards the closet, until they were right at the door.

**XxX **

**Just a note: the town's name Simplicity is actually the real name of a town in Virginia (I did some research). I haven't got a clue what it's actually like though – I live in the UK. While I love the relaxed atmosphere and the beautiful countryside, I HATE the fact that our television is always behind the US – hence the fact that I've only been able to see up to Miss Mystic Falls. Don't worry though, I'm catching up! **

**Please review and let me know what you think about this chapter. For those who have already reviewed, thank you SO MUCH! You have no idea how much they mean to me. **


	7. Chapter Six

**I wasn't planning to write a chapter today. But today – June 18****th**** for those of you with a time difference – is my BIRTHDAY! My eighteenth birthday for that matter – I can finally drink for the first time ever (she says sarcastically).**

**But unfortunately I can't do anything. For one thing, it is exam time for most people so there is no point in doing anything until July, when everyone is free. I can't do anything with my family either, because it's the England match tonight. Hopefully they'll win. **

**So, a little fact: people who have the same birthday as me: **

1974 – Vincenzo Montella, Italian footballer

1952 – Isabella Rossellini, Italian actress

1942 – Paul McCartney, British singer, songwriter and musician (The Beatles, Wings)

1946 – Fabio Capello, Italian football coach

**Now, I am sorry for the shortness of this chapter. But it is my birthday, so you really can't blame me (I hope!). **

**Hope you have a good day!**

**XxX **

**Chapter Six **

Katherine didn't like the feeling she had in her stomach. The Pierce girl had learnt that it was always best to trust her gut, and it was telling her that something was off – and it wasn't the food.

No, it was Damon. Her ex-boyfriend was acting strange, and she didn't know why. Damon was way too clingy to _ever _break up with her. He _had _to have met a girl. It was the only explanation that made sense.

But even that caused her anxiety. Katherine wasn't exactly modest, but even she knew that she was one of the most attractive, smartest and charismatic girls in the town. Even if Damon had met a girl at the dance, even if it had been some fling, he should have been begging Katherine for a second chance. What girl could possibly be better than her? That, more than anything, was what scared her.

Walking down the hall, her brown eyes narrowed at the coat closet door. If she knew Damon, it wouldn't be a surprise to her. Not that Katherine wouldn't have been willing, but Damon seemed to prefer her out in public. He didn't care if people stared while they were kissing.

Taking a deep bracing breath, she flung open the door.

It was empty. Katherine found herself almost disappointed. If Damon _had _been with a girl, at least then she knew it wasn't about her; it was about another whore who had caught his attention, possibly poisoned his mind against her. An enemy maybe?

As she pondered her long list of opponents, she heard something. She turned round, her eyes narrowing once again. Katherine tried to focus in the gloom – where on earth was the light?

**XxX **

Elena had never been more terrified in her life. Katherine was _right there_, right in front of her. She pushed herself even flatter against the wall, trying to breathe slowly. Didn't people realise how hard it was to breathe quietly when your heart was hammering?

She felt something on her arm. Elena nearly leapt up – that is, if she hadn't been so desperate to keep Katherine from finding her. She turned her head, which was slightly difficult because of the coats, and saw Damon's blue eyes through the light. He was holding her hand.

Her eyes snapped back to Katherine. She was fumbling round the wall, looking for the light switch. Elena's heart beat quickened. _If Katherine turns on the light, we might as well be sitting ducks_.

Damon obviously had the same thought because he began gently nudging her along the wall towards the door. _Is he thinking of making a break for it? But Katherine will see us! _

Light suddenly flashed, leaving her blinded. But it wasn't the light that she was expecting: instead, the door had been opened a second time. Elena couldn't see who it was – a large red coat was blocking her – but someone else had entered the room.

_More people! Now the light will be turned on for sure, and we'll be caught. And then... _

She didn't want to think about it.

**XxX **

Damon didn't want to think about what Katherine would do once she found out he and Elena were together. She would probably scream it from the rooftops once she heard, leaving others to do the actual damage.

But then someone else entered the room. Damon tried to look at him, though he had to bend his knees slightly so he wasn't towering over the coats. His eyes widened when he realised who had entered.

"Katherine?" Stefan's voice floated like welcoming waves towards Damon. At the same time, he was terrified. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh," she said, her voice simpering. Damon rolled his eyes: Katherine was the most cunning vixen he had ever met. "Stefan. I was just looking for your brother."

"Damon? I-" His voice faltered for a brief moment, but it seemed long enough. His brown eyes met Damon's, and he froze. Because he had seen his brother, Stefan moved across and landed on Elena. Even in the darkness he realised who the teenager was.

The Gilbert girl waited for the exclaimed voice, the shocked relationship revealed. But instead, a moment passed and Stefan turned back to Katherine. "Damon's back in the ballroom, Katherine. He has been for a few minutes now."

Katherine believed Stefan. Damon knew this for two reasons: one, because she didn't know him that well; and two, because she simply believed Stefan was too naive to lie. She sighed, her voice still girlish. "I'm sorry. I've... This break up has driven me crazy."

He smiled understandingly, offering her his arm. "Let's go back. I'm going to see if my father is drunk enough not to notice if I get some wine."

She smiled warmly at him, reaching her hand up and stroking his cheek. Both Salvatore boys tensed. "Thank you Stefan. You're so much sweeter than Damon ever was."

Damon felt his body tense. Katherine could do whatever the hell she wanted with him, but she was _not _going anywhere near Stefan.

The door closed, leaving them in darkness once again. Both lovers waited a few minutes, unsure how far Stefan and Katherine had gone. "I think it's safe," Elena said finally. She pushed her way through the coats, Damon a second behind her.

"Wow," he said after a minute.

"Yeah," Elena replied, feeling a little stunned herself.

"I mean, I thought..." Damon swore, releasing some of the tension. "I was going to tell him!"

Elena grabbed his hand. "You were?" she murmured as she turned him to face her. She pressed his forehead against her own.

She felt him nod. "He's my brother. We tell each other everything Elena, and it's killing me to lie to him. At least now I won't have to. Don't you want to tell Jeremy?"

Elena paused. "Not really," she admitted. "But we're having a fight at the moment. Besides, I don't think our bond is as strong as yours and Stefan's."

Damon didn't want to hurt Elena's feelings, but he couldn't deny that his bond with Stefan was something different than others. "It's probably because we're brothers. The brotherhood bond is stronger than most."

"What's stronger?"

She felt his smile brush against her lips. "Us."

**XxX **

Damon walked as boldly as he dared into the ballroom. Elena had gone six minutes before him, carefully timing it so it didn't seem too suspicious.

He saw Stefan in the middle of the room, talking to Tyler. Damon went towards him, hoping to gain some time to talk about what happened, though he didn't know how much he could say without anyone else hearing. But before he could, an arrogant jerk stood in the way.

"Where have you been?" his father hissed.

Damon did not look at him directly, pretending that something else – anything else – was more interesting. Which, in truth, it was. "I was talking to some people."

"You are s_upposed _to be making a good impression." He could smell wine on his father's breath. "How can you do that when you're not here?"

He finally allowed his eyes to go to his father's. "I'm not making a bad impression."

His father growled. "When we get home, you and I are going to have a serious-"

There was a sudden outcry in the room, followed by the sound of fists against skin. Damon looked past his father: as far as he could tell, Tyler had said something to Matt about his sister; obviously Matt had taken offence and attacked him. Next thing he knew, everyone had suddenly rushed in the middle and began fighting.

Damon saw Stefan in the crowd, and – though he would never admit it – felt his heart clench. Without thinking he dove in, landing a punch on some guy's nose (and heard a satisfying crunch). Before he knew it, it was a free-for-all.

After God knows how long (and without a scratch, he added proudly) Damon felt someone grab his collar and yank him out from the fray. He glanced up to see his father dragging him from the fight. He saw Stefan being pulled away too, though he went more willingly than Damon.

As Damon turned back, he saw Elena. She looked anxious, seeing his father acting so angry. He smiled and winked at her before he had been forced to disappear.

"I can't believe this!" Giuseppe shouted, pulling his two sons outside to the parking lot. "I told you two _not _to get in a fight, and what do you do? You get into a fight!"

"It wasn't our fault!" Damon said immediately. He glanced uneasily at his brother out the corner of his eye. He wished Stefan would say something, anything, just so he knew he was okay; that _they _were okay. But Stefan rarely said anything when his father was in a bad mood. He wondered how Stefan and his father actually communicated. Suddenly he realised his father was taking the keys. "You shouldn't be driving. You've had alcohol. Stefan can-"

"I'm driving!" Giuseppe snapped.

Damon was quiet after that. He sat in the back seat with Stefan while his father rambled drunkenly on. Damon looked out his window, and Stefan stared out of his. Neither of them spoke, despite their father's terrible driving.

The eldest Salvatore was barely listening as his father yelled at them. He and Stefan walked down the bedroom hallway under their father's gaze. Stefan went in his room, and Damon went into his. Neither of them said a word, though Damon desperately wanted to.

Damon went to bed, keeping his eyes open. Once he heard his father go into his bedroom, he began counting. He didn't move until he reached six hundred. Then, and only then, did he get up.

As silent as a panther he crept down the hall. Once he reached Stefan's room he opened the door and quietly slipped in. Usually he would get into bed next to Stefan, but this time he leant against the closed door, unsure he was welcome.

He saw the shape of his brother sit up. "Are you going to explain?" he asked quietly. Undemanding, patiently curious – typical Stefan.

Damon sighed. "What do you want to know?"

After a moment, Stefan said, "Everything."

"Remember at the masked ball a week back?" Stefan nodded through the darkness. "That girl that looked like Katherine – it wasn't Katherine, though I _thought _it was."

"It was Elena," Stefan said. His tone remained completely indifferent. "Elena Gilbert."

"Yes. We didn't know it was each other, being a masked ball. We started talking, and...we just clicked, as much of a cliché as it sounds. I was shocked when I realised it was her, but I...I just couldn't stay away. And before I knew it, we were dating.

"You understand why I couldn't say anything, right?" he asked anxiously. "I didn't want to keep it from you, but I couldn't let anyone find out. I was going to tell you, I swear, but not until I knew how serious it was."

Stefan's silence was killing him. "Stefan, please say something. Look, I'm sorry, I should have told you. Next time – well, there won't be a next time, okay? C'mon Stef, I tell you _everything_! I swear, from this moment on, I will tell you everything that enters my head, even if it's stupid-" The thought of losing his brother made him unusually nervous.

"Damon, I'm not mad."

He stopped in mid-sentence. "You're not?"

Stefan laughed a little. "No D, I'm not angry."

An enormous amount of pressure was lifted from his shoulders. Feeling more confident, Damon went and snuggled under the covers next to his brother. They had done this since they were children: when Stefan had nightmares he would always go to Damon. Whenever they had something big to talk about, they would wait until their father had gone to bed before creeping into one of their rooms.

"Why aren't you mad?" Damon asked softly.

Stefan leant back against the pillow. "You've been happier Damon. Ever since that ball you haven't been in that crabby mood-"

"Thanks S," said Damon, though his tone was lighter.

"You just seem as if you can do anything, be anyone you want to be. Nothing – not even Father – has brought you down." He smiled gently. "So, if Elena Gilbert has made you like this, then remind me to thank her."

Damon inched closer and played with Stefan's hair. It was what they did when they wanted to show affection without seeming, well, gay. "It means a lot to me Stefan. I don't know what I would have done if you'd gone against me." He spiked his brother's already spiky hair.

He smiled, moving closer to his big brother. "Just remember this D. Next time I want a favour, you have to be willing to do a_nything_."

Damon grinned through the darkness. "Agreed, but if it's a girl favour then you'd better be careful. She might see me and decide-"

Knowing where Damon was going with this, Stefan grabbed his brother's foot and began to tickle him. Damon cried out, and the two brothers began to wrestle. Damon couldn't have been happier. He had been stressing out about nothing. Stefan was truly a great brother. _I don't give him enough credit._

A wild thought entered his head, sudden and stupid: _maybe this relationship could just work. _


End file.
